A Stretch Of the Land. By G. Stewart Bowles. (Methuen
and Co. 6s.)—We must confess to having found this volume more than usually unintelligible, comparing it, that is to say, with other books about sea matters. Now and then we came upon something tolerably plain. There is a description, for instance, of a diver which makes us realise as we never did before his not very desirable occupation. " On Hospital Cay," too, is a tale of the audacity of certain youngsters which it is not difficult .to appreciate. But there are exceptions. Would that it were possible to have a naval expert on the staff of all literary journals ! But all the difficulties are not of this kind. What does Mr. Bowles mean when he says of the members of the Gun-room Mess, " No begging Foundation, rotting with age and doting in the ivy of its swamps, awaits their manhood"? A hospital is "a begging Foundation," but it does not "dote in ivy": a College " dotes in ivy," but it does not beg. We give it up.
Previous page
